Ben Saffer

"The URSA Cine 17K 65 body is much smaller than earlier digital 65mm systems, and I had already done a lot with the URSA Cine 12K LF, so I didn’t need to change our approach. We had access to shallower depth of field as a choice, but I tend not to shoot wide open, so we were mostly around T2.8 ½. "The camera also did something in terms of contrast and attention. In the scene where we used a split down the middle in terms of brightness and darkness, that was a story choice, and her face had this beautiful shape that the 40mm Cooke Panchro 65/i lens brought to life." Working with director Charlotte Peters, Ben Saffer shaped a tender short, To Fly or to Float, about loss, faith and reconnection. Saffer breaks down the intimate approach behind the film's look and why he shot on the Blackmagic URSA Cine 17K 65. Read more on our website!

Trailer drop for The Witches of Pool Bottom. It answers none of your questions. You’re welcome. Cast Starring @anjacilia @georgiabainess @syddmiede @anastasiya.ji @frankiebounds Director @avabounds DoP @bensaffer Production Design @camillehewittsetdesign Costume @zybull_creates @tiamaytextiles @ambreker.art Art Dept @lauremward Hair and Makeup @kellyautumnmua @makeupbypaigeharley Choreographer @royston.darren Fight Director @jackofallblade 1st AC @nowleyson 2nd AC @_heleneeeee Gaffer @emil_nolan Spark @tom.mp3s 1st AD @tom.m.crabtree 2nd AD @lucybernardo0 Stills Photography @hannahsmillie29 Sound recordist @sommer_ville Practical Fx @bryanboundsactor Grip @thierryennui Script Supervisor @louise_woollam Vfx @raiyan.chinoy #shortfilm #femalefilmmaker #femaledirector

Stills from ‘To Fly or Float’ — a 1970s period drama directed by @charlottepetersdirects , now featured on the @blackmagicnewsofficial gallery and YouTube channel. We shot on the Blackmagic URSA Cine 17K 65 with @cookeoptics Panchro 65/i lenses — the 40mm and 75mm. The goal was to combine the emotional closeness of handheld 16mm with the sculptural depth of 65mm — to feel like you’re inside the moment rather than observing it. The way the Panchro 65s render skin within the 65mm image circle is something I haven’t experienced on any other combination. I could light by instinct and trust the latitude of the 17K sensor — responding to what was in front of us. Set during the 1979 Winter of Discontent in Birmingham, the film tells the story of an orphaned girl and her estranged uncle navigating shared grief through faith, hope, and the creation of a kite. Huge thanks to an incredible crew — @litbyluke pulling focus on a format that doesn’t forgive, @steadiwood on Steadicam, @zain__haris on the grade, and Olivia and Charlotte for trusting the process. Full gallery with downloadable BRAW clips on the Blackmagic Design site. Link in bio. Written and produced by Olivia Maiden Produced by @dreamhivefilms #cinematography #blackmagicdesign #ursacine17k #cookeoptics #panchro65

🎉 Protocol 909 has won Best Sci-Fi Short Film at the London Independent Film Festival 2025 @londoniff 🖤 Huge thanks to the festival, jury, and everyone who helped bring this world to life: cast, crew, and collaborators who believed in the vision from day one. Follow for updates and sign up to our mailing list for future screenings. 🎬 CLON presents A short film by Estela Oliva @eoliv With Anastasiya Ador @anastasiya.ji and Feliks Mathur @feliksmathur Written, Directed & Produced by Estela Oliva @eoliv DoP & VP Supervisor: Ben Saffer @bensaffer Editor: Antonio Lewis @toneocreative 🎶 Music: Ana Quiroga @anaquiroga__ Produced by Unform Experiences @unformexperiences Filmed at The Creative Digital Lab @thecreativedigitallab Project Manager: Kristina Pulejkova @tinapulejkova Volume Technician: Matthew Carr Script Consultant: Herty Owusu Kindly supported by LSBU @lsbu and Startup Croydon @startupcroydon Sound and Colour Post-Production by Company 3 @company_3 : Senior Colorist Stefan Perry @stef_colour , Re-recording Mixer Adam Gama Davidson @adamgamadavidson_sound 🌐 #Protocol909 #SciFiFilm #ShortFilm #SpeculativeFiction #Futurism #UnformExperiences #ArtificialIntelligence #Clon #Clonworks #EstelaOliva #VirtualProduction #SyntheticLife #SyntheticBeings #LIFF

Featured by @cookeoptics 🎥 Honoured to have my work on To Fly or Float showcased to launch the new Panchro 65/i. We shot on the URSA Cine 17K + Panchro 65s — exploring how large-format texture changes intimacy and depth. Full feature on Cooke’s site 👉 link in bio. #Cinematography #CookeLook #ShotOnCooke #LargeFormat #DoP #BenSaffer #UKFilm

Meet the eyeballs behind the lens 👁️🎥 @bensaffer is stepping in as Director of Photography on The Witches of Pool Bottom—and he’s bravely agreed to point a very expensive camera at whatever madness we throw at him. #filmmaking #filmproduction #shortfilm #femalefilmmaker #studentfilm #ukfilm #behindthescenes #filmmakerlife #comedyfilm #bodyimage #bodypositivity

Behind the Glitz, There's Grit.. 🍯 Shoutout to our powerhouse crew on ‘I Was Honey Boo Boo’, a raw, unfiltered dive into Alana Thompson’s world beyond the fame - and this team captured it all 🎥 @BenSaffer - DOP (Digital Orchard Alumni) 💻 @DanielSaffer - DIT (Digital Orchard) 🧡 Rachel Wood @steadiwood - B Cam Operator & Steadicam (Orchard Crew) Ben shared, 'I’m so proud to have worked on this project - the trailers alone have already racked up hundreds of thousands of views online! It was a real pleasure collaborating with my brother, Daniel Saffer, who did an incredible job as DIT, ensuring a seamless dailies grade throughout’ 💥 Daniel added, 'A strong dailies grade sets the tone for the whole project - especially when the trailer is of the dailies, so it had to shine from day one. Working with a fun and skilled team was a great and insightful experience' Rachel Wood said, ‘I had a fantastic time working with such generous collaborators as @bensaffer and @katieboland13 . They have a clear vision for what they want but are still open to new ideas from me and the rest of the team. I’m so excited for everyone to see the results of all our hard work!’ 👏 An absolute dream collaboration across the Orchard family - we couldn’t be prouder #digitalorchard #orchardcrew #Iwashoneybooboo #camerateam #behindthescenes #DOP #DIT #steadicamop

Over the moon to announce I’m now repped by Laura Reeve @berlinassociates ! Delighted to be joining an incredibly talented roster—including some of my favourite cinematographers and directors. Excited for what’s to come! #Cinematography #DirectorOfPhotography #BerlinAssociates #NewRepresentation #FilmIndustry #SetLife #Filmmaking #BritishFilm #CareerGoals #UKFilmmaker #DOP #BehindTheLens #OnwardsAndUpwards

We had @hero_ldn over to film a #VirtualProduction advert for an airport-tech company. DOP @bensaffer VP Specialist @bchriz Co-Produced @tvox_agency Not easy to film on an airplane? Easy to film in the lab!

At @cubestudiosuk , our production-first approach is what drives our #Innovation, ensuring our team and productions stay at the forefront of technology, to deliver the best in content creation. We were thrilled to host an #InnovationSession with the #REDDigitalCamera team for an exclusive demos of the game-changing #VRAPTOR [X] and #KomodoK. With #DOP @bensaffer on hand, we were able to explore some innovative features such as Phantom Track which seamlessly integrates GhostFrame™ and Frame Remapping. #CUBEStudio #VirtualProduction #VirtualProductionStudio #Studio #Innovation #Stories #Content #ContentCreation #Innovation #Technology #REDCamera #KomodoX #CreateYourReality

🤯 More #VirtualProduction work at the lab! Thanks to @cmclainmusic and the live band, we cooked up a wicked #MusicVideo that we can’t wait to share … @bensaffer @hertyfilmmaker @toneocreative @lsbu #MoSys #Filmmaking #Content #croydon Did you know that we have the MoSys star tracking system? And a Brompton processor? And a Tessera remote? And blackmagic cameras? And a discount for anyone that wants to shoot music videos? There’s so much to discover, and it just gets better and better at the lab, a hub for creatives in South London.

I'm overjoyed to see @danvspringle rightfully recognized for his outstanding work on 'Die Before You Die.' This film is a true testament to his talent and vision. At its core, it's a cinematic exploration of profound ideas – spirituality, ego, and our perception of the world. In today's landscape, creating such a thought-provoking movie that remains gripping and accessible is no easy feat. Yet, Dan managed to strike that delicate balance wonderfully. 'Die Before You Die' invites the audience to engage deeply, encouraging individual interpretation while ensuring they never feel lost. It's a fantastic achievement, and on top of that he's one of the most collaborative and generous directors around. Kudos to Dan for his well-deserved recognition. Here's to celebrating his creativity and the impactful storytelling of 'Die Before You Die.' 🎬🌟 #Filmmaking #Director #Recognition #DieBeforeYouDie